WHAT’S UP DOC?: A view from the other side

By Dr. Jeff Hersh/Daily News Correspondent

Tuesday

Dec 19, 2017 at 2:13 PMDec 19, 2017 at 2:13 PM

I recently had an accident where I broke multiple bones requiring some extensive surgery. This gave me the opportunity to experience the medical system as a patient, and this has turned out to be an amazing learning experience.

Going to the emergency department (ED) can be scary. It is not only the disease or injury that you are addressing, but also the loss of your prior wellness.

In some ways, I think it is harder being a patient when you do not have a lot of medical knowledge, as the unknown can be even scarier, and understanding the nuances of your care plan may be challenging. Do patients really understand what is happening, especially in an emergency situation? Are they in a position to know what questions to ask? How in-depth do they understand the answers?

But it was also hard being a patient with a couple of decades as an ED doctor. I did not want to question every decision, but I could not help wanting to know each and every data point, and it was simply not possible for me not to think “what would I do for a similar patient?”

Things move fast in the ED. I was initially in traumatic shock from blood loss, so I was not thinking normally. But I was still aware enough to understand what was going on. I needed to know my blood pressure so I could decide what treatments were indicated. I needed to know the results of (and see when possible) every imaging exam and every blood test. Knowing bad news was easier for me than not knowing.

Overall, I think the staff did a good job, and I was professionally resuscitated and then admitted to the ICU. Despite my long-standing appreciation of nursing care, the importance of this care is even more obvious when you are a patient. Being immobile in bed with unstable fractures makes it obvious how critical nursing care is. Over the next 24 hours I was stabilized so I could tolerate surgery.

Many hours in the OR over two separate days and my bones had multiple screws, plates and other hardware to put them back together in good anatomic position. Two days post op after the last surgery and it was on to rehab.

Rehab is where the rubber really hits the road. I need exercises to regain strength and range of motion. And I need to learn techniques to be able to do the ‘activities of daily living’ (ADLs) such as getting out of bed, getting to the bathroom, washing, dressing, etc., all without the ability to put any weight on my left leg or use my left arm. So I have been learning how to hop and pivot using one arm, one leg and a walker. To be honest I did not know that such a thing was even possible, but with the expertise of the health care providers at rehab, what I now know to be possible eclipses what I could previously have imagined.

This experience has taught me just how limited a role any one caregiver plays, even when excellent performance of that role is critical to the patient’s survival. Good overall medical care definitely takes a village. Doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, radiology technicians, occupational therapists, physical therapist, nurse’s aides, nutritionists, lab technicians, as well as so many other support personnel, are all vital players. Recover depends on the skills of each member of this extended team, as well as the team working in concert as a coordinated group of professionals.

There are still many months ahead in order for me to heal and regain (I hope) my preinjury baseline. I expect a lot of hard work and challenges to come. I will continue to learn a lot, and I really look forward to the experience.

And I am incredibly grateful to my health care team. I know I am here only because of their dedication, expertise and hard work. Have you hugged a health care worker today? If not, please do so. These folks are there 24/7 for us, and the work they do should not be taken for granted.